Pillar Coral

Photo: John C. · CC BY-NC

Trumpet Reef hosts impressive stands of pillar coral, one of only two Caribbean coral species that feed with its polyps extended during the day, giving the columns a fuzzy, animate appearance. Pillar coral is now listed as vulnerable globally due to stony coral tissue loss disease, making healthy colonies like those at Trumpet Reef disproportionately significant for the species' survival. They provide critical microhabitat for gobies, blennies, and juvenile reef fish that shelter among the pillars.